Wolverine breaks box office records

Vicki Salemi is passionate about writing. As a regular contributor to AOL, MSN and numerous sites and publications she also blogs regularly for CNBC European Business, Women for Hire and Manhattan adventures on her website www.vickisalem...

Jackman jacks Girlfriends

Hugh Jackman was strategically on Oprah this past Friday to talk about his new flick and then Wolverine raked in $34 million on opening night alone! X-Men Origins: Wolverine officially kicked off the summer box office making $86 million in spite of its bad reviews and fears of concerned germaphobe-Americans in the midst of a swine flu pandemic.

Jackman was fresh from hosting the Oscars and is uber talented ranging from his Tony Award on Broadway to becoming Hollywood's most bankable star. The man from Down Under did it again this weekend with his Wolverine finished first stop the box office and is reminding some of another superhero film of recent past.

Wolverine has Iron Man-like stature. The Iron Man opening last summer started with $35.2 million.

As for Hugh Jackman's roster of upcoming flicks we are sure will be a hit, there's Guardians of Ga'Hoole and Drive and about five other projects in development.

Although I'll forget about the bomb he did with Nicole Kidman (Australia, anyone?) we do know Jackman has the Hollywood golden touch. Even his Oscar song and dance routine with Anne Hathaway paved the opportunity for the rising starlet to show off her singing prowess and consequently snag the leading role as Judy Garland in an upcoming flick. Ah, all that Jackman glitters is indeed gold.What's fascinating also is that Wolverine managed to break records in the middle of a flu outbreak that has America reeling.The folks at Fox were stressing just a little bit between the internet leak of the entire film that was quickly shut down, to the mediocre reviews and a difficult economy that makes the movie viewer select wisely. And, with Star Trek earning stellar reviews (preview: including this publication), it was thought that the average movie goer may simply want to wait out the flu and Wolverine and his average reviews.The May 1-3 box office top 5:1. X-Men Origins: Wolverine, $87 million 2. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, $15.3 million 3. Obsessed, $12.2 million 4. 17 Again, $6.36 million 5. Monsters vs. Aliens, $5.8 million